This invention generally relates to instrument, such as camera, supporting dollies and more particularly concerns a floating pedestal for such dollies.
The heavy film cameras of movie studios were conventionally mounted on dollies having wheels for horizontal movement and variable length pedestals or columns supporting the camera for limited vertical movement. It was not uncommon to counterbalance the vertically movable portions of the column so as to cause the camera to have virtually zero weight, thereby creating a floating condition permitting the camera to be easily positioned vertically within the range of column extension movement.
Devices of this kind require adjustability in counterbalancing force since the supported camera weight will vary depending upon the lens chosen or other equipment mounted on the camera.
Modern cameras, particularly video cameras, have become substantially lighter than the former studio film cameras, and it has also become increasingly desirable to film (or tape) "on location" and outside of a studio. With a basically lighter camera, a variation in lens or other accessories creates a wide range of weight that must be counterbalancing to achieve the full floating effect.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a full floating instrument support that is compact, light in weight, and fully portable, hence well suited for out-of-studio work with lighter modern camera equipment.
It is a related object to provide such a support which can be easily and rapidly adjusted to counterbalance a wide range of camera weights to achieve the floating condition. Another object is to provide a support of this kind which, once adjusted for camera weight, holds that counterbalancing effect through the full vertical range of column height adjustment. A collateral object is to provide a support of the foregoing kind that offers a solid support which nevertheless operates smoothly to vertically position the camera.
It is also an object to provide a support as characterized above that is completely self-contained and, while using pneumatic force, requires no pump or air tank once it has been charged for a day's use.
A further object is to provide a support of the above character which is economical to manufacture, particuarly as compared with the conventional studio dollies having similar characteristics for in-studio use.